Relishing in the last goodbye

Andrew Edwards

Jennifer Gilderman lingered, trying to be the last in line to

graduate from Ocean View High School last week.

Like many of her fellow graduates, Gilderman had mixed emotions

about the day’s festivities. She was excited and looked forward to

opening the next chapter of her life, but there was a tinge of

sadness for leaving her alma mater behind.

“I’m graduating last because I want to be the last one to say

goodbye,” she said.

She came close, but as Ocean View’s Class of 2004 marched in two

cardinal-clad lines, Gilderman was the second-to-last student to have

her name called as proud parents and family members watched the

Seahawks’ ceremony.

The 272 graduates ended their high school careers in the cool and

breezy weather June 16 at Westminster High School’s stadium. In a

slight twist from most commencement ceremonies, the evening began

with the reading of the graduates’ names as the seniors marched in

the arena. The steady pronouncement of names was greeted with loud

bursts of applause from family members in the bleachers, accompanied

blaring air horns and the crackles of confetti poppers.

Graduate Greg Okwudibonye, who described graduation as

“fulfilling,” said he would miss his many high school friends the

most.

“It feels so good right now. I have some mixed emotions about

people leaving,” he said.

Garrick Phan-Weston was excited to complete high school and plans

to attend UC Davis to study biology.

“It’s great -- it’s a great feeling,” he said. “I really like

getting out of here, getting into the real world and seeing the real

world.”

But not all of the Seahawks will spend next year in ivy-covered

lecture halls. Teodoro Coria enlisted for a four-year hitch in the

Navy where he hopes to be trained as a helicopter mechanic. He said

he was not deterred by the conflict in Iraq, and was motivated to

join the military by “the events that have happened in the world.”

“I want to help my country, serve,” he said.

In her speech, valedictorian Jaclyn Kimble challenged the Seahawks

to make sure their friendships stayed alive as they move beyond Ocean

View and not to allow each other’s phone numbers to gather dust

inside the pages of their yearbooks.

“I meant it when I said keep in touch, and I think your friends

did too,” Kimble said.